Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	day_n	holy_a	keep_v	4,585	5	6.3970	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28622	The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse shewing a Christians priviledge in approaching to God in ordinances, duty in his sacramentall approaches, danger if hee do not sanctifie God in them / by Samuel Bolton ...	Bolton, Samuel, 1606-1654.	1644 (1644)	Wing B3520; ESTC R33239	55,356	184

not a vile thing to hinder disturb the Saints in those things whereby they draw neer to God 1. Either by depriving them of Ordinances and robbing them of the means 2. Or by corrupting of the Ordinances to them that they cannot injoy them in that purity which God left them In the first the bread is taken from them In the second they give them poyson with their bread both these will have a sad day of reckoning 4. See what 's the reason the Saints are so much taken with Ordinances because they draw neer to God in them they look upon Ordinances as Bridges to give them a passage to God as Boats to convey them into the bosome of Christ Vehicula Spiritus as means to bring them into more intimate communion with their Father therfore are they so much taken w th them When they go to the Word they go as one goes to hear news of a friend when they go to pray they go to talk with a friend when to read they go to reade a letter from a friend when to receive they go to sup with a friend they look upon Ordinances as those things whereby they have to do with God and therfore are ordinances so precious Indeed to them who have to do with nothing but duty in duty but prayer in prayer but hearing in hearing to them the Ordinances are dead dry and spiritless things but they who have to do with God in duty they who have communion with God in Ordinances to them Ordinances are passing sweet and precicious 5. Judge what cause there is to keep our hearts in a spirituall and holy frame wee have often to do with Ordinances and when we have to do with Ordinances we have to do with God we draw neer to him And therefore what cause to get and keep our hearts in a holy temper that we may be ever fit to close with God in them and not have our hearts like bad servants to seek when we are to use them The Apostle bids us pray continually it is not meant that wee are ever to be upon our knees ever in actuall prayer but seeing we are to pray so frequently we are to get and keep our hearts in such an habituall frame and disposition that they may be ever fit to close with God when ever wee are called out upon the duty Were wee but seldom to have to do with God you might think there were no such need of keeping our hearts in frame but seeing we are to do with him daily who is so pure and holy a God Oh what manner of persons ought we to be How exactly should we walk Jerem. 7.9.10 Will you steal and murther and come and stand before mee in this house which is called by my name saith the Lord so will you walk loosly live vainly when you are to do with so holy a God every day Oh let every man that calls upon the name of the Lord depart from iniquity Let every one that holds up praying duties keep his heart in a praying frame such a Christian is not worth a pin who is only good when he is on his knees who thinks it sufficient to snatch up affections to serve the turne of a duty and then to lay them aside as soone as the duty is over hee is a Christian indeed who prays on his feet as well as on his knees whose life is nothing else but a reall prayer that if you look into his heart there is all his desires ingraven his heart ever pants and breaths the same things he prayes and if you look into his life his life speaks the same language his lips do his life is a walking prayer many men are one upon their knees another upon their feet but he is the same hee walks with the same spirit the same affections the same desires and disposition hee is the same man It is something to pray more to pray as a Christian and more when you have prayed your prayers to live your prayers nay to live those affections those dispositions wherewith you prayed to live as high as prayer It is a shame to see how we slide out of duty into the world and out of the world into duty again as if we were two contrary men one upon our knees and another on our feet And therefore you shall see men to gather up some affections some dispositions before they enter on a duty and put themselves into another frame but lay them aside as soon as ever they have done these must only serve to act a praying part when that is done then lay them aside you have no more use of them you must put on another spirit to go into the world withall Christians you have often to do with Ordinances and had therefore need to keep your hearts in an Ordinance frame hee who keeps not close to God in practice shall never keep close to God in prayer distance in life breeds distance in duty And what need of keeping up praying affections what a shame to have our lives give our lips the lye our practice be a confutation of our prayers In our prayer to be warm in our practice cold up in duty down in life Oh learn to live as high as duty thou never prayest indeed till thy practice come up as high as thy prayers till thou loves confessions and art humble thou loves petitions and art thirsty and diligent for those things thou begs till a man may reade by thy life that thou art one who desirest those things which thou hast uttered with thy lips Let this frame of spirit be in your eye to aim at and in your life to indeavour after But I am too large I intended this doctrine only for the porch or entrance to the rest To draw therefore up to the conclusion of it I. If it be so that who ever hath to do with an Ordinance hath to do with God in it hee draws neer to God Let me then exhort you 1. To a conscionable use of Ordinances 2. To conscionablenesse in the use of them 1. Let me exhort you to a conscionable use of Ordinances Be more frequent in hearing in praying in receiving c. I might say something to this last viz. Receiving The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as wee eat this bread wee shew forth the Lord's death it implies a frequent use of the Ordinance more then once or twice a year or once a quarter Indeed the opportunities might be more frequent if it were not for the coldness and deadness of our hearts In the Primitive times of the Church while the blood of Christ was warm they had the Sacrament every day wee have an uncontradicted authority that they had it every Lord's day And as men grew colder so the distances grew greater Sure were it not for the coldness and deadness of our hearts it might almost be our daily bread at least wee might injoy a more frequent use of this

THE GUARD OF THE Tree of Life OR A Sacramentall Discourse SHEWING A Christians Priviledge in approaching to God in Ordinances Duty in his Sacramentall approaches Danger if hee do not sanctifie God in them By SAMUEL BOLTON Preacher to the Congregation of Saviours South-warke 1 Cor. 11.27 Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Verse 29. Hee eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for A. Kembe and are to be sold at his Shop at the Talbotgate in Southwark 1644. TO MY BELOVED FRIENDS The Godly and Well-affected of Saviours-Southwark Grace and Peace Beloved IT is now well-nigh four yeeres since I was removed from a loving a very loving people in the City and fixed among you the expresses of love which in this time I have received from you have put me on to think what way I might again manifest my ingagements to you And considering with my self the relation wherein I stand I could think of no better way of acknowledgement then to impart something spirituall to you and no better subject then this which is now presented to your view nor could I think of a better time then this for the doing of it when God in our blood shewes us what a fearfull thing it is to be guilty of the blood of his Sonne It is not unknown unto you how greatly this place above many others hath been guilty of the prophanation of this Ordinance of the Lords Supper God hath discovered it to us humbled us for it shewed us the necessity and graciously inclined your spirits to the desire of the reformation of it In reference to which through the countenance and assistance of you my brother Minister and my self have adventured to set upon the work being willing to put our selves to no little trouble if by that wee might prevent a great deal of sin In this work the searcher of hearts knowes we have had no other design then to express our Pastorall duties and declare our Pastorall affections towards your souls In short to serve you in love Probably we may meet with many obstacles in the carrying on this work Indeed it is that which is expected nay and that which wee reckoned on before we entred on it But if the work be Gods hee will either facilitate and make it easie for us or give us spirits proportionable to the greatness of it I say hee will either lessen the difficulties or heighten our spirits to conflict and incounter with them There are two sort of adversaries which we expect to meet withall some that will say we go too far and others who will blame us that we go no further To them that think we have gone too far I shall only say that we hope we have not gone beyond Gods bounds sure as God hath a purpose this Ordidinance should be continued so hee hath a care also that it should be fenced from prophanation in the continuance of it and when a better way shall be discovered to us wherein we may hold up the use of this Ordinance and yet fence it in the use of it from evident prophanation wee are ready to listen to it and be thankfull for it in the mean wee do not see it our duty to hold up the use of this Ordinance except there be some fence set up all former fences being insufficient and now broken down to keep this Ordinance from manifest prophanation unless you will say our Pastorall office doth in the exercise of it necessitate us to sin Much more might be said if wee saw it either requisite or convenient for an Epistle To those who blame us we go no further I must say our design hath bin rather to tempt on by going their pace then to discourage by over-driving our little ones I say it hath been our aim to cherish not to quench to draw out not to suppress the graces of our people and therefore have we desired to improve those graces which wee found though weak rather then to expect that which was not to be found Our present reformation it is not the measure of our will but of our power it is not the utmost wee desire but the utmost wee are able And though it may seem small to you yet despise not the day of small things though the house is not built yet wee rejoyce the first stone is laid and wee could not choose but bring it forth with shouting Grace Grace unto it and Glory Glory to the Lord. Babylon was not built in a day neither is Sion God carries on his works without us as he doth his works within us by degrees the greatest fire was at first a spark the tallest Oak at the first an Achorne the strongest Christian had his infancie and the greatest work of God its mean beginnings Would the corruption of former times have suffered our godly predecessours to have left the work in that forwardness to us in which through Gods blessing it may be left to them who shall succeed possibly nay probably the work might have been carryed on to a greater height then now it can That which is done wee desire to bless God for it and think it our duty to cherish with our utmost prayers and indeavours In relation to which these ensuing Sermons formerly preached are now printed to which work if they shall be any thing serviceable they have obtained the end of him Who is not unwilling to spend and be spent for you S. BOLTON A briefe Table of the maine things contained in the following Discourse THe Introduction into the Discourse and parts of the Text and explanation of the term pag 1 2 3 4. Doctr. 1. To have to do with an Ordinance of God is to draw neer to God p. 7. Use 1. Judge how much you are bound to God for Ordinances p. 10. 2. What cause to lament the sad condition of those that want them p. 11 12. 3. What a sin to disturb the Saints in the use of Ordinances p. 13. 4. See the ground the Saints so much taken with Ordinances p. ibid. 5. See what cause there is to keep our hearts in a holy frame p. 14. Use Exhort 1. To a conscionable use of Ordinances upon four grounds p. 20. to 25. 2. To conscionablness in the use of them upon three grounds p. 26 to 28. 2. To Exhort When ever you have to do with Ordiuances take Christ with you p. 30 The necessity of it 1. In regard of admission 2. Assistance 3. Acceptance pag. 31 32 33. Doct. 2. Those who have to do with God in an Ordinance must sanctifie God in it 34. 1. What it is to sanctifie God in an Ordinance 35. To which something is required 1 In the work 35. 2 The workman 1 In his head knowledge c. 36. 2 In his heart 36. 1. Holy affections 2. Sutable 37. 3. Excited 38. 2. How

Ordinance then we do but as the Apostle saith as oft as you have opportunity do good so as oft as you have the opportunity take the occasions to meet God in his Ordinances 1. By them you see you draw neer to God you come into his presence you have to do with God's Name nay you have to do with God himself 2. By them God draws neer to you he walks among the Candlesticks he presents himself in his Ordinances Matth. 28.1 and there he directs us to finde him Cant. 1.7 8. 3. If wee keep not up a conscionable use of Ordinances distance will grow between God and you As the Water-man may lose more by the omission of one stroke then he is able to recover again by many so may you lose more by the omission of one duty then you are able to recover again by the performance of many especially if this omission hath arisen 1. from neglect of God 2. from carelesness 3. from sleighting of the converses with God 4. or from the importunities and solicitations of Satan and our corruptions 5. or from the blandishments of the world If upon such grounds little dost thou know what thou losest by such an omission If notwithstanding all indeavours it be so hard to keep communion with God what would it be if we should cast up our Oars and neglect it wholly You see what a distance was bred between God Israel Jer. 2. And what was the ground of it why saith the Text My people have forgotten mee dayes without number they had no care to keep and cherish coÌ„munion and acquaintance with him and so distances were bred between God and them neglect of duty breeds strangeness strangeness distance distance falling off A good caveat in these dayes when so many do cry down duty shall we look upon that as our burthen which is our glory our bondage which is our priviledge what is the happiness of a glorified Saint but only that he is alwayes under the line of love ever in the contemplation and converses with God And shall that be thought our burthen here which is our glory hereafter By this first you come to see the face of God secondly you have converses with him thirdly you get new quickenings fourthly new incouragements fifthly fresh strength against sin sixthly new supplies against the temptations of Satan the world seventhly fresh strength to walk with God eighthly armor against our lusts and this is enough to make us conscionable 4. We know not how soon we may be deprived of Ordinances wee have play'd with the breasts and God might put them up we have sinn'd in the light and God might put out our light How justly might God remove his Candlesticks let out his Vineyard to other Husbandmen and seek for other ground to sow the seed of his Ordinances upon seeing the ground where it hath been sown hath brought forth so little fruit how deservedly might hee suffer us to wish and wander to injoy one of the days of the Son of man which we have injoyed But though God do not take away the Ordinances from us yet hee may take us from the Ordinances and that not only by death but in life it self and a sad thought this will bring to thy soul when conscience shall report to you your former negligence in the use of Ordinances II. Let me exhort you not only to a conscionable use of ordinances but to Conscionableness in the use of them be not onely conscionable to use them but let your hearts be wrought up to a Conscionablenesse in the use of them The power of the Word the terror of the Law the fear of wrath and the hope of reward may put a man to do duty yea have power upon the spirit and ingage the conscience to doe duty You see many that dare not but pray and yet have no heart in prayer they have a conscience to doe duty but their hearts are not brought to any conscientiousness in the doing of it A common work of God may make men conscionable to doe many duties but nothing but the Spirit and Grace of Christ will work up the heart to a conscionablenesse in the doing of them To this conscionablenesse in the performance of Ordinances would I exhort you upon this ground because you draw neere to God have to doe with him And as in all so in particular in this Ordinance of the Lords Supper 1. Because otherwise ye get no good 1. no good of Grace no improvement of Holinesse 2. Nor no good of coÌ„fort Comfort comes not in from the bare doing of the duty but from the manner of doing it is not the issue of conscience to doe but of conscionablenesse in the doing of them All the Sermons you have heard all the Prayers you have prayd all the Sacraments you have received though done out of conscience as you say will not minister one dram of true comfort to you upon your death-beds if your spirits have not been wrought up to a conscionablenesse in the doing of them 2. Because otherwise you provoke God to give him the carkasse and out-side of duty and to with-hold the life and spirit of duty is a provocation of God 3. Because otherwise you will contract much guilt and bring much evill upon your own souls This is sure that Ordinances used in an unconscionable way 1. They give Satan further possession of us 2. They put much weight to our sin 3. They set our soules at further distance with God 4. They ripen us to the great downfall the great sin lies among such 5. They make our conditions more irrecoverable When a man comes to be Ordinance-proofe prayer-proof Sermon and Sacrament-proofe that none of these can enter and work upon him he is out-grown the power of Ordinances that man's condition is very neere desperate There is nothing makes the condition of the soule more desperate and unrecoverable then the use of Ordinances in a formall and unconscionable way when a man doth harden under means of softning When a mans soar runs under the plaister nay when the plaister increaseth the soar when that which should draw us neere sets us at further distance this man's condition is dangerous Scarce one of many are ever wrought upon When once a man can heare and pray and receive and yet retaine his sinne too without disturbance all this doth not trouble him no weapon will pierce him no command no threatning of the Word no power of Ordinances can move him this man is in great danger to die in this condition And the use of Ordinances in a formall way brings men to such a condition As the use of Physick in an ordinary way doth take away the working of it so the use of Ordinances in a formall way doth take off the edge and blunt the power of working on the spirit Well then let me exhort you not onely to be conscionable to use but to a conscionablenesse in the use of

Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Text snippets containing the quad